The Pinewood admission system holds pivotal significance in our school, shaping the future lineage of Pinewood successors. Led by Upper Campus Director of Admissions Lisa Longbottom, the admissions committee reviews and selects students from diverse backgrounds to attend Pinewood each year.
For the 24-25 application season, admissions opened on Sept. 1, 2023. Students and parents must fill out an online application with basic demographics, interests, parent information, among other criteria. Student interviews take place in November, where students come to campus in small groups to fill out a questionnaire about their interests and partake in a brief interview with Longbottom. After applications close on January 10, 2024, the next deadline is to send in student transcripts by February 1, with decisions coming out shortly after on March 14, aligning with most other private schools. Accepted students will have one week to notify the school if they plan on attending Pinewood in the fall, and students who chose to attend Pinewood will take placement exams to be placed into their respective classes.
Although this schedule is standard for most years, Pinewood has implemented some strategic adjustments to its admissions system. The most significant change involves a decision to exclusively consider applications for 7th and 9th graders, marking a departure from the acceptance of applications for eighth, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders.
“We are only accepting applications from grades seven and nine this year because we have sizable rising classes, meaning there’s not going to be a lot of room in the other grades to bring in extra students,” Longbottom said.
Additionally, the traditional practice of individual shadow days, where a few students come to campus each day to shadow two classes, has evolved into a more collaborative experience with the introduction of group shadow days.
“The problem [with individual shadow visits] is that with the way our schedule is different every day, it became a scheduling nightmare,” Longbottom said.
With the implementation of group shadow days, cohorts of 25 prospective students will visit campus in the morning. During this visit, they will engage with Pinewood’s Associated Student Body team and high school student government, serving as ambassadors to provide a student perspective and address any questions shadows may have. Following this session, students will transition to a campus-wide spirit assembly. Here, shadows have the opportunity to actively participate or enjoy activities, fostering a sense of camaraderie as they compete for spirit points. Then, shadows will eat a catered lunch on our Murphy Patio, after which they will be taken on a campus tour by Pinewood’s Envoy Program, created by Associate Director of College Counseling Carolyn Siegel, with the intention of integrating a team of ambassadors to introduce any college visitors or shadows to our school.
Exploring the intricate admissions processes requires a closer look at the factors the admissions team considers when evaluating potential students. They aim to find the students that fit best for Pinewood, in order to ensure that they can thrive in the community; this includes excelling academically and expressing interest in activities and clubs to quickly connect with peers and make friends.
As Upper Campus welcomes new Panthers, Longbottom is excited to welcome a cohort of admits that embody the school’s spirit and this year’s theme of belonging, allowing each new student to contribute to the collective success of Pinewood.
“Our whole pedagogy is a well-rounded WISCR student, so we want students and parents to fulfill that,” Longbottom said.
